Depth Gauge Tools for Saw Chain

[nstueve]

The pic below is similar to some depth gauge tools. However it has few extras build in. if you look to the bottom left you'll see it's hooked for cleaning bar rails out. Also there are 4 different depth gauge settings on these 0.025, 0.030, 0.035, and 0.040. So you have choices for hard, soft, or in between wood. The right side is a rail depth gauge to check how deep your bar channel is compared to your chain teeth (for those that actually grind and file their rails). Lastly, there are 35* slots for guiding those of you who want to free hand file.

 

[SawTroll]

This is what I use, sold by Husqvarna. I use the Hard setting. I find the FOP to make my rakers too low and aggressive on Stihl RS chain.

I use the Husky guides on RS and RM chain as well (but usually the "soft" setting for birch), it doesn't matter if it is the ones on the combo version of the roller guides, or the seperate ones, they work in exactly the same way.
What makes those great is that they are progressive, and is setting each raker according to the individual tooth - it is the same with the FOP. I haven't tried the FOP on anything but Carlton chain.
Raker guides that ride on the top of two cutters are only usable if all cutters are the exact same length, and then you have to figure out when to change to a deeper setting. The setting needs to be deeper the more the cutters are filed back, to maintain the intended "angle of attack".

 

[Philbert]

I use a F-O-P whenever possible, but they can be kind of chain type specific.

The FOPs were chain specific. Not a big deal if you only use one type of chain, but can be a pain if you sharpen lots of different types.

I think that they also helped with top plate angle and filing depth. Like the tool that Nstueve posted: a multi-function aid.

Has anyone tried these Husky depth gauge guides with low kickback chain?

Philbert

 

[dsell]

I've seen it mentioned twice in this thread, "if the chisels are not the same length". So I must ask, is the chain sharp if the chisels are different lengths? Are you adjusting the rakers to keep the chain from cutting an arc?

 

[SawTroll]

I've seen it mentioned twice in this thread, "if the chisels are not the same length". So I must ask, is the chain sharp if the chisels are different lengths? Are you adjusting the rakers to keep the chain from cutting an arc?

If most cutters one one side are shorter than on the other side, the chain will cut crooked, regardless if it is sharp. It doesn't matter much that a cutter here and there is shorter though, because you needed to remove damage. Filing all cutters way back because a few needs to be is not really necessary, if the corresponding rakers are set accordingly - at least on a work chain.

 

[dsell]

If most cutters one one side are shorter than on the other side, the chain will cut crooked, regardless if it is sharp. It doesn't matter much that a cutter here and there is shorter though, because you needed to remove damage. Filing all cutters way back because a few needs to be is not really necessary, if the corresponding rakers are set accordingly - at least on a work chain.

That explains some chains I've had to sharpen for people.

 

[SawTroll]

.....

Has anyone tried these Husky depth gauge guides with low kickback chain?

Philbert

No, but they obviously will not work on chain with bumpers on the tie straps, and not with Oregon Vanguard. They obviously work with Oregon 95VP/VPX and with 20 series BPX - I'm not sure about the RS3 and RM3 (never used them, but both the rakers and the ramps are much larger than on the BPX). The large rakers aren't a problem, the the guides works on RS and RM, so it is the large ramps that may be a problem.
Oregon uses the ramps instead of large ramped rakers (LPX vs. LGX), Stihl use much larger ramps in addition. Oregon uses slightly enlarged rakes on the VPX and BPX though, just enough to make them pass as "green".

 

[ANewSawyer]

The FOPs were chain specific. Not a big deal if you only use one type of chain, but can be a pain if you sharpen lots of different types.

I think that they also helped with top plate angle and filing depth. Like the tool that Nstueve posted: a multi-function aid.

Has anyone tried these Husky depth gauge guides with low kickback chain?

Philbert

Troll beat me to it. What he said.

I have 95 vpx, well, Husky equivilent to it on my Husky 435. My raker guide on a roller guide for the 0.325 came cut out to let the anti kickback bumper through the raker hole.

Best thread thread we have had on here in 6 months. I ain't kidding either.

 

[Mad Professor]

Anybody just use a Pfred file/raker file combo? It seems to work well on my milling chains. If the cutters have = length the depth is right.

And while we are at it, what do you use for files/grinders? For the rakers. If I have the time I still use a flat file and radius the rakers, takes a lot of time. If a negelected chain I will use an angle grinder to get close then finish with a flat file.

I still hand file all my cutters and have been doing so for > 35 years. I don't know anybody local who can get them sharper with a machine.

 

[ANewSawyer]

Speaking of low kickback chain, I found out that the 95VPX will bore cut. A little bumpy but again, I have the rakers a little low.

I may try to track down some of those plates. They would be mighty handy.

 

[SawTroll]

Speaking of low kickback chain, I found out that the 95VPX will bore cut. A little bumpy but again, I have the rakers a little low.

I may try to track down some of those plates. They would be mighty handy.

Yes, it certainly will. Small rakers and small ramps definately beats large ramped rakers for that.
I have done quite a bit of it with both designs.
LPX is of course the "king" of bore cutting, among the chain mentioned so far in this thread, simply because it has the "slimmest" rakers, and is chisel chain. RSK may be even better, I simply don't know.

 

[ANewSawyer]

Hey, while we are at it, will a 3/8ths husky roller guide do both 3/8ths chisel and 3/8ths semi chisel? I don't know any why it won't. A loop of chisel chain came on Craftsman (Poulan 3700).

 

[SawTroll]

Hey, while we are at it, will a 3/8ths husky roller guide do both 3/8ths chisel and 3/8ths semi chisel? I don't know any why it won't. A loop of chisel chain came on Craftsman (Poulan 3700).

With the current semi chisel (DPX) it will, but for a final answer I need to know more about that older chain. If it has 76 or 77 in the drivers, the answer is no, as those have lower cutters and take a smaller file (3/16" vs. 7/32") than what the guide is made for....

 

[jwilly]

I use the roller guide on semi chisel as well but the angle will be less than recommended. I don't really notice too much difference and on dirty firewood you don't lose as much tooth when resharpening. I always file one side shorter than the other even when I try to really pay attention, my son files one side right handed and the other left handed and his are more consistant and I've been trying that without much luck so the flat guides work well for me.

 

[ANewSawyer]

Bar and chain are new on an old saw. But the chisel chain is sharpened wrong making for dust city. I haven't had the chain off to count the drivers. I have a shot of the bar though. Let me get to my PC (on a tablet right now) and post it. Voila! Photo!

 

[SawTroll]

Anybody just use a Pfred file/raker file combo? .......

Stihl sell those as well as Pferd. To me, it sounds and looks like a really bad idea - but they may be a help for people that really have no idea to at least take the rakers down a bit.
There is no way that they can set the rakers right though, but likely better than not filing them at all. Also, it likely is a problem to hold the cutter file at the right hight, at the same time as you apply the correct backward/upward pressure, and a downward one on the raker file.

 

[SawTroll]

Bar and chain are new on an old saw. But the chisel chain is sharpened wrong making for dust city. I haven't had the chain off to count the drivers. I have a shot of the bar though. Let me get to my PC (on a tablet right now) and post it. Voila! Photo!

According to the markings on the bar, the chain should be .050, which means the numbers on the drivers (the parts of the chain that goes into the bar slots) should be either 72 or 76. To me, it looks like it is a 72LG chain, and if it says 72 on the drivers it is. If so, the blue bodied Husky roller guide will fit. It will not fit if it says 76, but it doesn't look like it is such a chain to me.

Anyway, it looks like the chain is in good general condition, but it certainly needs some strokes with a file.

 

[SawTroll]

A funny thing about the Oregon 76/77 and the Stihl Topic is that they were low profile 3/8" chain, but they weren't 3/8" lo-pro.....

 

[Philbert]

I've seen it mentioned twice in this thread, "if the chisels are not the same length". So I must ask, is the chain sharp if the chisels are different lengths?

If the cutters are not the same length, they will also not be the same height, or stick out the same amount to the side. This is done by jointing and setting teeth on conventional crosscut saws, but is 'automatic' on modern saw chain. The top and side plate cutting bevels may be 'sharp', and cut wood fibers, but the cut will be rougher and less efficient if the cutters on a loop are all different. This may or may not be noticeable, depending on the user and their expectations. Same thing if the depth gauges are not set equally.

So the answer may depend on what the user considers as 'sharp' and 'good enough'. Ideally, all of the cutters and angles would be the same. As SawTroll notes, not a big deal if it is only one or two cutters that were damaged.

Anybody just use a Pfred file/raker file combo? It seems to work well on my milling chains.

Forgot about those. Thanks for bringing them up. I have never used them personally, but there have been a lot of positive comments about them here on A.S. from members who have. As I understand, the depth gauge offset is fixed - that is, you can't make them a bit higher or lower if you prefer. And they don't work on skip tooth chains? Please correct me if I am wrong. Again, a lot of users are happy with them.

If I have the time I still use a flat file and radius the rakers, takes a lot of time. If a negelected chain I will use an angle grinder to get close then finish with a flat file.

I think that rounding over depth gauges/restoring the original profile is important. Otherwise, you can create a point that tries to dig in the wood instead of sliding along in the kerf. I now will use a special depth gauge file or a grinder to set the depth (took me a while to get the hang of the grinder). I used to use the same file to round/profile the depth gauges but found that a ScotchBrite 'deburring' wheel does this much faster.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/depth-gauges-on-a-grinder.200410/

By the way, the difference between special 'depth gauge files' and ordinary flat files, is that the depth gauge files do not have any teeth along the sides, so they are less likely to accidentally damage the freshly sharpened bevels on the cutters. Some people will use the depth gauge tool to protect the cutters when filing or rounding depth gauges.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

No, but they obviously will not work on chain with bumpers on the tie straps, and not with Oregon Vanguard.

I modified the depth gauge part on one the Husky roller guides to fit around low kickback bumpers, but had not seen those flat plate versions until MGoBlue posted them above.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/husqvarna-filing-guide-help.193131/#post-3469981



Guess I could do the same with those, so that the same one would work with both standard and low kickback versions? Not sure if different brands of .325 chain(for example) have different cutter profiles and should have different plates (like the FOPs), or if it does not matter that much.

Philbert